Fort Myers-based Chico's lays off 'around 200' employees

Chico's will be laying off more employees on Tuesday, according to the company spokesperson.

The international company's headquarters is off Metro Parkway in Fort Myers.

The Chico's spokesperson said in a statement, "We have reduced layers by eliminating positions where we believe we can operate more efficiently with fewer resources."

One source says around 200 employees were laid off, but the company won't confirm that figure as not to disrespect those who've lost their jobs.

They said that certain corporate and field leadership positions have been eliminated, including IT employee Mike Ristic.

"They take you away individually so you don't have much time to react or look at anybody else's face. You just kind of get escorted out the door," he said.

"It's a lot different than it was last time... Last time they had rows of HR people that you knew were out there firing people."

Yet this time, not only was it more subdued, employees, both fired and currently working, say they were told to keep this wave of firings "on the down low."

"These are corporate decisions, they happen," said Jim Wall with CareerSource Southwest Florida. "Whenever there's a change at the board level, CEO level, it's not unexpected that action follows."

He says while they're tough to see, it's not surprising with their previous history of layoffs.

Sources tell us the company is in full compliance with the incentive agreement that was provided by Lee County. The county invested $1.79 million.

In 2011, Chico's broke ground on a 146,000 square foot expansion and was completed in 2013. It was partly funded by taxpayer money under the promise that it would bring business growth to the county. As part of the addition, they expected to hire 150 people for high-paying jobs over the next three years.

Chico's has had multiple workforce reductions in the past. In January 2009, an estimated 200 jobs were cut, and again in February 2015, an estimated 165 employees were let go. The most recent round of layoffs took place June 23, 2016.

Wall has worked with Chico's through their ups and downs and says CareerSource will continue to support them. He also believes they'll bounce back.

"As one of the bedrocks here, it's never good to see individuals reduce their labor force. Chico's has still been a great employer and is still one of the largest employers in the area," he said.

Severance, extended health benefits, and outplacement services will be provided to those who've lost their jobs.

CareerSource Southwest Florida says they can help assist anyone unemployed to find new positions in the area.

Sources say Chico's does not expect to make any more changes after Tuesday.

Full statement from Chico's spokesperson:

To continue Chico’s FAS’ success in the evolving retail industry, we remain focused on making changes to best serve our customers today and in the future. As we have discussed previously, these changes include redesigning our organizational structure to become more nimble, efficient and responsive to our customers’ needs.

These organizational changes have led to the creation of new jobs in a number of important areas, such as digital and business analytics. Most of these new roles have been filled by current associates and we are actively hiring for open positions.

In addition to expanding key areas, we have reduced layers by eliminating positions where we believe we can operate more efficiently with fewer resources. As a result, certain corporate and field leadership positions have been eliminated. For those affected, we are grateful for their contributions and are committed to treating them respectfully and to making their transition as smooth as possible, including providing severance, extended health benefits, and outplacement services. Boutique associates who serve our customers have not been impacted.

Chico’s FAS is a proud member of the community. As we continue to evolve and advance to best serve our customers in today’s modern retail environment, we remain committed to Southwest Florida.